Preview — Hello Summer, Goodbye
by Michael G. Coney

Hello Summer, Goodbye

It was an alien planet - yet not too alien from Earth. It had its differences; its ice goblins, its curious furry lorrin, its thickening water, and its unearthly tides, but for a young man like Alika-Drove thinking of a vacation by the sea these oddities were the norm.

But this vacation was different. Rax was coming into the ascendant and Rax, that cold second sun, was theIt was an alien planet - yet not too alien from Earth. It had its differences; its ice goblins, its curious furry lorrin, its thickening water, and its unearthly tides, but for a young man like Alika-Drove thinking of a vacation by the sea these oddities were the norm.

But this vacation was different. Rax was coming into the ascendant and Rax, that cold second sun, was the equivalent of evil, of Satan and of Hell. And as its time drew near everything began to get warped and sinister...until for Alika-Drove it would be either the harsh brutal end of his innocence or the end of his world forever....more

Community Reviews

and off the whole family goes to the seaside village of Pallahaxi! it's vacation time! or is it? the dead planet Rax looms in the sky, drawing nigh.

Coney plays with multiple tones in this elegiac coming of age tale: heartfelt and hopeful for the charming young lovers finding their way; angry and cynical for the increasing understanding that many adults are untrustworthy assholes and the world is full of broken governmental systems; fateful and eerie when hinting at what may come next for this sand off the whole family goes to the seaside village of Pallahaxi! it's vacation time! or is it? the dead planet Rax looms in the sky, drawing nigh.

Coney plays with multiple tones in this elegiac coming of age tale: heartfelt and hopeful for the charming young lovers finding their way; angry and cynical for the increasing understanding that many adults are untrustworthy assholes and the world is full of broken governmental systems; fateful and eerie when hinting at what may come next for this steam age world. multiple tones but they're all mixed up together, just like life.

this is a classic novel of science fiction. the author has a brisk but careful style and his themes are timeless. the characters are real, imperfect and often quite moving. plus they're all aliens!...more

To be honest, I never heard of the author until I read about him in a Best-Ever-SF-List. 'Hello Summer, Goodbye' is considered to be his most succesfull work and after reading the novel, I cannot do otherwise but praise the book. The work is no classic SF and more soft than hard SF, describing a world which is quite similar to our earth, with a stage of development that makes the book - technically speaking - one of the first steampunk novels. The author was also clearly influenced by the cold wTo be honest, I never heard of the author until I read about him in a Best-Ever-SF-List. 'Hello Summer, Goodbye' is considered to be his most succesfull work and after reading the novel, I cannot do otherwise but praise the book. The work is no classic SF and more soft than hard SF, describing a world which is quite similar to our earth, with a stage of development that makes the book - technically speaking - one of the first steampunk novels. The author was also clearly influenced by the cold war, as two nations are warring each other constantly. All this takes place on a world which is fluctuating between long summers and long winters. The plot starts as a summer holiday at the sea, describing a teenage boy who is struggling with his parents and falling in love with a local girl. More and more external factors are influencing the young folks and the inhabitants of the fishing town, and in the end, the summer goes, with bitter implications the reader couldn't think of at the start of the book.

What I liked especially ist the melancholic undertone of the novel. The author takes time to tell the story of summer days at the sea, with the protagonists doing boat trips and discovering the adventures of the coast. The main characters, especially Drove the teenage boy, are described very well and are evolving considerably through the 230 pages of the book. I think if I had read the book in my teenage days, I would habe been impressed even more than now. The only thing which seemed somehow undrealistic for me is that Drove is analyzing his surroundings in a very rational, sophisticated way - but maybe that fact makes him one of the first nerds and gives him the affection of the reader. 'Hello Summer, Goodbye' is a very compact but nevertheless very moving book about the end of youth on a distant but not so far planet, and if you aren't into Hard-SF only, you should definitely give it a try....more

This short sf/fantasy story is one of those rare treasures that, once read,engraves the memories of a stranger in a tender corner of your heart.

Coney, writing through the eyes and experiences - and within the limited knowledge of the world - of the youthful hero of the story, brings to life the strange world which Alika-Drove (who is not human) calls home. Simultaneously with discovering the world through Drove's observations, the reader is drawn sympathetically into his growing up as he beginsThis short sf/fantasy story is one of those rare treasures that, once read,engraves the memories of a stranger in a tender corner of your heart.

Coney, writing through the eyes and experiences - and within the limited knowledge of the world - of the youthful hero of the story, brings to life the strange world which Alika-Drove (who is not human) calls home. Simultaneously with discovering the world through Drove's observations, the reader is drawn sympathetically into his growing up as he begins to grasp the pressures which drive the decisions of the adults around him, as he falls in love, and as he learns to identify friends and enemies, and those who are somewhere in between. Not to give away too much, a global crisis results in a completely unexpected conclusion. Please don't miss this book! ...more

Despite the author's assertion that this is a war story it seems that war plays very little part in it. It is a teenage boy growing up story, set over a summer holiday. His growing awareness of social class and sexual attractiveness plus conflict with parents, other children and adults form the dynamics of the story. The protagonist is realistically self obsessed, egotistical and socially inept.

The science fiction aspect of the book is a slightly exotic background to the story until near the endDespite the author's assertion that this is a war story it seems that war plays very little part in it. It is a teenage boy growing up story, set over a summer holiday. His growing awareness of social class and sexual attractiveness plus conflict with parents, other children and adults form the dynamics of the story. The protagonist is realistically self obsessed, egotistical and socially inept.

The science fiction aspect of the book is a slightly exotic background to the story until near the end when most of it is explained in a couple of bits of exposition, with the remaining piece being left to the readers imagination. Despite there being no humans in the story, the aliens look and behave very much like humans, using familiar technology and having a familiar society. While rationally this seems unrealistic, it make the jobs of writer and reader easier, so that they can both concentrate on the story and the important differences rather than getting bogged down on creating and absorbing a whole alien world.

I thought that the final section seemed rushed and clumsy, as if the author had to bring a story that had been drifting aimlessly along to a sudden and somewhat irrational conclusion.

It is an easy read, with a distinct misogynistic tone -- which I hope represents the teenage protagonist rather than the author....more

I wish I had read this book when I was 16. This is the best young adult book I have ever seen and I do not say this in a derigatory way. It is beyond a young adult book (with a brilliantly thought-out underlying plot, great planet specific peculiarities and wonderful characters) but the honesty and sense of wonder related to a very eventful summer holiday is the ,unexpected, high point of the book. Coney writes with great pace and even though his descriptions are, maybe intentionally, ambigiousI wish I had read this book when I was 16. This is the best young adult book I have ever seen and I do not say this in a derigatory way. It is beyond a young adult book (with a brilliantly thought-out underlying plot, great planet specific peculiarities and wonderful characters) but the honesty and sense of wonder related to a very eventful summer holiday is the ,unexpected, high point of the book. Coney writes with great pace and even though his descriptions are, maybe intentionally, ambigious they are joyful to read. The only hard part for me in the book is the high number of sailing terms which I'm not very familiar with. The idea of grume, lorins, Rax... I mean I don't like much antropomorphic alien world-building generally but this is an amazing example.

The story drones, escalates, decelerates in a perfect composition and then leave you with one final punch. I will surely read other Coney books....more

What a lovely, lovely novel. Hello Summer, Goodbye is a little gem of a book that deserves more recognition - it should be a major classic in the SF field.

As a coming-of-age tale, Hello Summer, Goodbye works remarkably well. Drove's transition from child to adult - figuring out things from the subtext, thinking for himself, falling in love with Browneyes and standing up to his parents - were very engaging. Coney showed some real worldbuilding skills here. Apart from the memorable setting (Who cWhat a lovely, lovely novel. Hello Summer, Goodbye is a little gem of a book that deserves more recognition - it should be a major classic in the SF field.

As a coming-of-age tale, Hello Summer, Goodbye works remarkably well. Drove's transition from child to adult - figuring out things from the subtext, thinking for himself, falling in love with Browneyes and standing up to his parents - were very engaging. Coney showed some real worldbuilding skills here. Apart from the memorable setting (Who could forget the unusual seaside scenery of Pallahaxi?), Coney built his world and subsequently crafted his story in such a way that the culmination leaves one breathless, but is the only logical one.

The title Hello Summer, Goodbye is so apt and symbolic, tying in beautifully with the overall theme (and ending!) of the novel. ...more

I'd give this book a 100 stars if I could! It is one of my all time favourite books, and I re-read it 3 times already. Despite that, it still is able to transform me into an emotional wreck every single time. It starts off as some kind of science fiction for kids and young adults. Plot is interesting and engaging, characters are awesomely reletable, scenery is breath-taking, etc. But it is so innocent story almost all the way up until the end. But the ending is so unexpected, vile, horrifying, sI'd give this book a 100 stars if I could! It is one of my all time favourite books, and I re-read it 3 times already. Despite that, it still is able to transform me into an emotional wreck every single time. It starts off as some kind of science fiction for kids and young adults. Plot is interesting and engaging, characters are awesomely reletable, scenery is breath-taking, etc. But it is so innocent story almost all the way up until the end. But the ending is so unexpected, vile, horrifying, sad, and gut wrenching that it usually makes me feel physically sick for days after finishing it. An awesome, awesome, and yet unknown book. Be sure to read this one, it is amazing piece of art, with unparalleled emotons, loveable characters and piercing social commentary wrapped in an disguise of science fiction novel....more

I enjoyed this book very much. The ecology of the planet on which it was set was very interesting, as was the planet's unusual relationship to its sun and another planet in the system. The characters were well-drawn and the story of young love was handled very well. Some readers may not like that the novel's ending is rather ambiguous--deliberately so, I believe--but I prefer to consider it thought-provoking rather than ambiguous. I am now eager to read the sequel, "I Remember Pallahaxi" in ordeI enjoyed this book very much. The ecology of the planet on which it was set was very interesting, as was the planet's unusual relationship to its sun and another planet in the system. The characters were well-drawn and the story of young love was handled very well. Some readers may not like that the novel's ending is rather ambiguous--deliberately so, I believe--but I prefer to consider it thought-provoking rather than ambiguous. I am now eager to read the sequel, "I Remember Pallahaxi" in order to see if any of the questions raised in "Hello Summer, Goodbye" are answered. ...more

Michael Greatrex Coney was born in Birmingham, England and educated at King Edward's School.

He started a career as a chartered accountant and went on to become a management Consultant. Then he went into the catering business, managing an inn in south Devon with his wife, Daphne for three years and a hotel in the West Indies for another three. He worked for Financial Services in the B.C. Forest SeMichael Greatrex Coney was born in Birmingham, England and educated at King Edward's School.

He started a career as a chartered accountant and went on to become a management Consultant. Then he went into the catering business, managing an inn in south Devon with his wife, Daphne for three years and a hotel in the West Indies for another three. He worked for Financial Services in the B.C. Forest Service for seventeen years before retiring .

He Passed away 4 November 2005. peacefully of Cancer (Mesothelioma). He was married with three children and lived on Vancouver Island....more